Better-for-you tuna mornay

This veggie-packed alternative to the classic tuna bake dish will instantly become a crowd favourite. Although this recipe is super low-calorie and stocked full of better ingredients, it definitely doesn’t lose any of that classically creamy, cheesy flavour that has made the original so popular. It’s a great dish for whipping up on nights when you’re looking for something healthy yet still fairly straightforward to bake or when you’re serving up to a hungry crowd. It’s best served on its own however, you can also pop a simple garden salad with cherry tomatoes on the plate if you’re looking to really complement the flavours. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled, finely chopped
• 2 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 200g green beans, cut into 1cm lengths
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil spread
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 500ml (2 cups) reduced-fat milk
• 425g can tuna in spring water, drained, flaked
• 40g (1/2 cup) grated parmesan
• 270g (2 cups) cooked brown rice
• 120g baby spinach leaves

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C. Lightly spray a 2L (8-cup) ovenproof baking dish with oil.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, celery and carrot, stirring, for five minutes or until softened. Add zucchini and beans. Cook, stirring, for two minutes or until just tender. Transfer vegetables to separate bowl.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Heat spread until melted. Stir in flour until well combined. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly, until well combined and smooth. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Stir in vegetables, tuna and half the parmesan. Season.
4. Spread rice over base of baking dish. Layer spinach, then tuna mixture. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Set aside for five minutes to cool. Serve.